Florentines. Although the flames of war had not yet broken out, every
day gave rise to some new occasion for rekindling them; and the pope,
in particular, in all his plans endeavored to annoy the Florentine
government. Thus Filippo de' Medici, archbishop of Pisa, being dead,
Francesco Salviati, a declared enemy of the Medici, was appointed his
successor, contrary to the wish of the Signory of Florence, who being
unwilling to give him possession, there arose between them and the pope
many fresh grounds of offense, before the matter was settled. Besides
this, he conferred, at Rome, many favors upon the family of the Pazzi,
and opposed that of the Medici, whenever an opportunity offered. The
Pazzi were at this time, both on account of nobility of birth and their
great wealth, the most brilliant in France. The head of this family was
Jacopo, whom the people, on account of his distinguished pre-eminence,
had made a knight. He had no children, except one natural daughter, but
many nephews, sons of his brothers Piero and Antonio, the first of whom
were Guglielmo, Francesco, Rinato, Giovanni, and then, Andrea, Niccolo,
and Galeotto. Cosmo de' Medici, noticing the riches and rank of this
family, had given his granddaughter, Bianca, to Guglielmo, hoping
by this marriage to unite the houses, and obviate those enmities and
dissensions so frequently occasioned by jealousy. However (so uncertain
and fallacious are our expectations), very different feelings were thus
originated; for Lorenzo's advisers pointed out to him how dangerous
it was, and how injurious to his authority, to unite in the same
individuals so much wealth and power. In consequence, neither Jacopo
nor his nephews obtained those degrees of honor, which in the opinion of
other citizens were their due. This gave rise to anger in the Pazzi, and
fear on the part of the Medici; as the former of these increased, so did
the latter; and upon all occasions, when the Pazzi came in competition
with other citizens, their claims to distinction, however strong, were
set aside by the magistracy. Francesco de' Pazzi, being at Rome, the
Council of Eight, upon some trivial occasion, compelled him to return,
without treating him with the respect usually observed toward great
citizens, so that the Pazzi everywhere bitterly complained of the
ill usage they experienced, and thus excited suspicion in others, and
brought down greater evils upon themselves. Giovanni de' Pazzi had
married the da